Toy gun or catapult



- (No Model.)

' A. S. MANN.

TOY GUN 0R GATAPULT. No. 588,870. Patented A11g. 2 1,"1897.v

' awn/tot M Wm mus Prrens cal Pnurouma. WASHWGYON o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER S. MANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

'T/OY GuNHoR oATAPu LT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,870, dated August 24:, 1897. Application filed January 4, 1897. Serial No. 617,9 l4. (N0 model.)

.it appertains to make and use the same.

My inventionrelates to improvements in toy catapults; and it consists in the novel device hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im-' proved toy catapult in position for discharging, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in position after being discharged. 7

Ihis device is composed of a single piece of spring-wire of suitable strength and resiliency bent toform the various parts thereof, as herein more fully described. One end of this wire is formed into a cup-shaped coil A, adapted to receive and hold a small missile, such as a pea or bean, when the catapult is in the position to be discharged, as shown in Fig. 1. Beneath this cup-shaped coil the wire is bent so as to form a loop A, and is then bent at a point alongside of the base of this cup-shaped coil at approximately right angles to the said loop to form the throwing-arm A Several coils are formed in the wire at the forward or lower end of this throwing-arm, thus forming a coil-spring a which tends to hold the throwing-arm A in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2. The wire is carried backward from the end of the coil a, forming the horizontal member A ,which is slightly longer than the throwing-arm A and is then bent at right angles to the said member A and provided with a coil A and thence carried upward, forming the short vertical member A, and then bent at a and carried backward and downward, forming the curved member A, which latter constitutes one side of the handgrip portion of the device. The wire is then bent around at a and a, or, if preferred, in a single continuous curve, and'is then carried upward and forward in a curve, forming the curved spring member A", which constitutes the other side of the hand-grip portion, and which passes through the coil A and terminates in a short turned-up portion a all as shown in the drawings.

- The turned-up end of the spring member A" normally extends forward sufficiently far to engage the loop A on the throwing-arm A as shown in full lines in Fig. l and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and when the said loop is thus engaged by the turned-up end a the said throwing-arm will be held in the position shown in Fig. 1, ready to be loaded and discharged.

The device is discharged and the missile thrown by a pressure of the fingers of the hand inward upon the spring memberA, the turned-up end a of which, forming a trigger or catch, being withdrawn from the loop A, and thus allowing the said throwing-arm to swing over forward under the action of the coil-spring of. As the forward movement of the throwing-arm A will be limited also by the coil-spring a it will rebound upon reaching the full forward extent of its throw, and the missile previously placed in the cup A will be hurled forward, as will be obvious.

It will be seen that I produce a cheap, simple, and durable toy, and one that is easy of operation by any child.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a toy catapult, the combination with a spring throwing-arm having at its swinging end a receptacle for the missile, and also a loop adapted to be engaged by a trigger for confining said arm; or" a spring trigger-ar1n passing through a guide and having a tongue adapted to engage said loop when in its normal position, but capable of being withdrawn by pressure from said loop, substantially as described.

2. In a toy catapult, the combination with a spring throwing-arm having at its swinging end a cup-shaped receptacle for the missile, and a loop formed at approximately right angles to said throwing-arm; of a hand-grip having a spring-arm or trigger provided with a tongue on the end thereof, adapted, when in its normal position, to engage said loop,

but capable of being withdrawn by pressure ICO from said loop, and a guide for said tongue near the end thereof, substantially as described.

3. A toy catapult composed ofa single piece of spring-Wire having one portion bent into the form of a spring throwing-arm with a cupshaped coil at the extreme end thereof, and a loop adjacent to said cup-shaped coil and at approximately right angles to said throwingarm; a coil formed in said Wire near its middle portion; and another portion bent to form a hand-grip, and terminating in a spring trigger-arm, the end of which passes through said coil which acts as a guide therefor, and is adapted, when in its normal position, toengage said loop on said throwing-arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDE R S. MANN.

Witnesses:

J. C. WILSON, PERCY O. BOWEN. 

